Long-wall mining shield



Sept. 18, 1928.

E. RAMSAY LONG- WALL MINING SHIELD Original Filed Nov. 1926 a Shet-Sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,597

E. RAMSAY LONG WALL MINING SHIELD Original Filed Nov. 8, 1926 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I murm ERSKIHE RAMSAY Sept. 18, 1928..

E. RAMSAY LONG WALL MINING SHIELD 3 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed Nov. 8, 1926 menlcz ERSKl/YE RHMSHY Patented Sept. 18, 1928,

nnirso STATES PATENT rrics.

ERSKINE RAMSAYQOE BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

IiONGWALL MINING SHIELD.

Application filed November 8. 1926, Serial No, 147,043. Renewed February 18, 1928.

This invention has general reference to shields which are adapt-ed for use in trenching, tunneling, stoping, sumping, and other excavating or mining operations; and relates more particularly to such shields which are especially suit-able for employment in longwall mining, as in the mining of coal along 7 aniextcnded face of the vein.

A primary object of the present invention to produce a portable shield which is adapted to protect miners and others enin excavating work or the like, against injury from falling or cave-in material, and to eliminate, or at least minimize, the S1101- ing, cribbing, or other timbering that has heretofore been required for such'worlr.

A further object is to produce such a shield which is adapted for use in connection with long-wall mining or other excavating work along an extended Working face, and which sufficiently flexible to allow for variations in the surfaces with which it contacts.

A further object is to produce such a shield which is equipped with mechanica means for movlng it.

And a still further object is so to design and arrange the parts of such a shield that the pressure of the loose material behind it will tend to retain it in the desiredpos'ition relative to the face that is-being worked, and to facilitate its advance toward said face when the shield is moved;

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished by my invention, and the manner of their accomplish ment, readily will be understood from the following description on reference to the accompanying drawings, which depict preferred embodiments of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 a sectional top plan view of a portion of my improved shield and the conveying machinery associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transversesection showing the shield and associated mechanism on a larger scale, and indicating the normal position of the shield relative to the loose material behind it and to the working face.

a front elevation of the portion of the shield shown in Fig. 3.

l ig. 5 is a fragmentary. detail view of a modiiied form of buffer plate to be used at the rear side of theshield.

Fig. 6 1s a view slmllar to Flg. 3.,show1ng a modified form of the shield in which the advancing mechanism is of the caterpillar tractor type. V

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view, showing a preferred manner of arranging mine tunnels for the use ofthe shield. For the purpose of illustrating a typical form of the invention, 1 have shown in the drawings, and shall describe hereinafter, a mining shield in the construction of which structural steel shapes and plates are employed, but

, As "shown in the drawings, in which like parts are identified by corresponding refer-- once characters throughout the several views, the shield preferably comprisesa series of triangular frames, each made upof a pair of structural channels 7, placed back to back, with their lower ends secured to a steel baseplate 8 near the'rear edge thereof, thetwo channels of each pair being spaced a sutfi-- cient distance apart to permitabuffer plate 9 to be secured tl'icrebetween with its rear edge extending considerably beyond the channels, and said channels being preferably forwardlyinclined relative to the base-plate 8; and a pair of channels 10, placed back to back, with their lower ends secured to said base-platenear the forward edge thereof, said channels being disposed substantially at right angles to the top of the base plate, and their flanges being cut away to permit a pair of structural angles 11 to have their lower ends secured to the outer faces of the channels 10 at the upper ends thereof, the

other-ends of said angles being secured to a channel 12 which extendslongitudinally of the base-plate 8, and to which the upper ends of the forwardly-inclined channels 7 are secured, as by means of angle clips 13. filler, platell is secured between the upper ends of the angles 11 to space said ends the same distance apart that the lower ends of 7 said angles are separated due to the presence similarly secured together and to said base,

plate by channels and 21. Between the buffer-plates 9 of the various frames, and secured to the flanges of the channels 7, are special ship'channel members 22. arranged parallel with'the base-plate, and three shipfor su ortin a neumatic )ic-k ordrill PP a H l channels .3, 24 and 25 are likewise secured to said flanges, adjacent channel 22, with their flanges secured together, the channels 23 and 25 being secured to the buffer plates 9, as by angle clips 26. v

A floor-plate 27' is secured to the channels 18, 19, 20 and 21, and serves as a working platform in the tun'nel like structure on which the miners may stand. A structural angle 28 has one or'iits legs secured to the outer faceof the web of each of the channels 7, and the other leg of said angle forms with the rearlnost flange of said channel a groove for the loose reception of timbers 29, or other equivalent members, such as metal plates, which prevent the loose material at the rear of; the shield from falling upon the Working-p atform 27, While atthe same time said'meinbers are movable upward to afford access by the miners to said loose material. Betweenthe anglesll of the various frames. there. are loosely supported pipes or rods such as may be. required to protect the interior of the shield from falling coal, and to one thereof is detachably connected a wire rope or other suitable suspension member 31 which isconnecte by a hose 33 with a compressed air pipe 331. A hydraulic ram 35 is pivotally supported by a bracket 36 from the channel 21, the plunger of'said ram terminating at its free end in a wedge-shaped portion 37 extending beyond the rear edge. ofthe baserplate 8, and said ram being suitably connected with. water pipes 38. and'39. As, best shown in Fig. 1, the rear edge of the baseplate 8 is cut away between the frames of the shield, so as to facilitate bring ing the ends 37 of the plungers of the rams 35 into engagement with the surface on which. said base-plate rests. A spray'pipe 40 is supported by the angles 10, in osition to direct small streams of water downwardly against the working-face 4&1.

The channels 18 and 19 serve as guides 'for the flights. 4910f horizontallyarranged flightconveyors 4:3 and, 44;, which deliver to a con-' veyor 45. the details. of which arenot shown in the drawings, but which preferably is adapted to elevate the material received from conveyors 43 and 44. sufliciently to deliver it into mine-cars or other means of transportation locatedin the tunnel 46.. The three conveyors are driven by motors 17 and 4.8 through suitable gearing and other powertransmission units. As clearly shown 111 Fig. 3, the front edge-ofthe lease-plate 8" preferably provided with a replaceable toe-strip 49, and. said edge extends beyond the outer ends of the flights of the flight-.

conveyor at that side-of the base plate, so that said fiightsordinarily do not come in contact with the workingface 41, but bits,

such as indicated at 4% in Fig. 3,1nav be secured to the outer ends of some or; all of teetlrfil', which are so shared asto be adapted to cause fracture and part al disintegration of any piecesof shale or other frangible material which may fall or be pressed against 7 said teeth, and which if not broken up might cause excessive pressure of the slneld against the work ng-face.

The inclination of the. angles 11, is sub-' stantially thc'same as that which is normal 1y assumcd'by the working-face 41 asthe material composingit power-picked or loo hand-picked down, shot down, or broken by subsidence pressure, and the lower end of each of said angles terminates at such a height, and is so, shaped, as to afford working clearance for the picks on drills In fact the shield is so designed as to .permit of theminershavi'ng access to any part oithe face at coal being worked.

The modified form of" shield shown in Fig. 6 iszprovidedwith tractors of the cater piller type instead of the rams- 35. for ads vancing the shield toward the working-face. Said tractors may beof any preferred form. and the one shown in F ig. 6' is illustrated conventionally as comprising the usual endless chain 52 andend sprockets 53 and 54, no shoes being shown, since theparticularcharacter thereot'that may be employed forms 7 no part of the present inventionj The baseplate 8 hasa transverse opening adapted to permit the lower one olt'tlie tractor chain to travel therein, with its shoes engaging the surface on' \i 'hich the base-plate rests, and throughout'thelength of the shield, liningplates 55 and 56 are secured to the upper-- surface of thebase-plate in positionto provide surfaces over which the two runs of. each of the-flight conveyorsafi and'44 travel.

The position of the compressed air pipe 34;,

from which air is suppliedfor the operation of the picks or drillsBrZ, is such that his of them may be drivenv from a single motor.

From the foregoing description, the operation and utility'of the invention readily will be apparent. The picks ordrills 82 are spaced such distance or distances apart as will conform with the length of the portion of the working-face that is intended to be worked by one drillroperator, and the rams,

or the tractors used instead thereof, preferably are similarly spaced, so that each may be operated by one of the drill-runners, and so that they may co-oper'ate in moving the shield uniformly. The rear side of the shield is sufiiciently closed by the channels 22, 23, 24, 25 and 20 and the timber 29 to protect the miners, all of said members being; strongly reinforced by the channels 7 and the buffer plates 9 or 50; the top of the shield is closed by the channel 17, reinforced by the channels 12 and the angles 15; and at the front of theshield are the angles 11, the channels 10, and the deflecting bars or pipes 30. It is preferred that at suitable distances apart there shall he breaks in all of the lone gitudinal members of the shield, so that it may be sufficiently flexible to allow for inequalities in the surface upon which it rests,

and irregularities in the working-face. As the working face 'issuniped or underscut or picked down wlth the p1cks or drills 32, or

otherwise worked with power tools or.

hand, or settles by subsidence pressure, the

material that is loosened, and that which constitutes the upperportion of the working-face, and which is dislodged by the working of the lower portion of said face, falls upon the forward runs of the flight conveyors 4-3 and 44, by which it is delivered to the conveyor 45, and by it discharged into mine-cars or other means of transportation located inthe tunnel 46. l Vhen the working-face hasthus been cut away throughout its length to the depth to which the pick or drills 32 are adapted to work efficiently, the

shield is advanced toward the workingyface d1 by means of the hydraulic-rams or pushers 35, or by the tractors, assisted by the pressure of the loose material behind the shield, until the toe-strip 49 of the base plate 8 takes against or is close to the extreme lower portion of the working-face, all of said rams or said tractors preferably being operated simultaneously and uniformly, so-

as not to impose excessive distortional strains upon the shield, although the width and thickness of the metal baseplate 8, and the manner in which it is reinforced by the other members, are such to adapt it to withstand great lateral stresses, while being snf-' ficiently flexible to allow for inequalities in the surfaces engaged by it. As the workingface is cut away, and the shield is advanced, the material which dislodgcs or breaks away from the roof falls behind the shield, any of such material which strikes the top of the shield being deflected rearwardly by the inclined longitudinal channel 17, and the larger pieces being broken up by the bufferplates 9 or 50. Said loose material will press against the inclined rear side of the shield, and thus tend to hold it in its ad vanced position, and to facilitate its advancement by the rams or the tractors, if not actuallyto advance it. Shouldit be desired to secure access to the material; the rear side of the shield, either to loosen it or break it up with the picks or drills, or for any other purpose. such as to dispose of waste or refuse material, the timbers 29 may be moved upward in the grooves in which their ends are placed, thereby leaving an opening; between the channel 20 and channel 25. When it is desired to changethe position of any one'of the picks or drills 32, it is only necessary to detach its supportingpendant 31 from that one of the pipes or rods 30 from which it is suspended, and to change the point of support of said pendant, the length of the hose 33 connecting the pick or drill with the compressed airpipe 34 preferably being such as to permit of moving the pick or drill to any part of the space in which it'is intended to be operated, without having to change the point of connection to the air pipe.

It will be apparent that by the use of my improved shield in the manner just oe scribed, the workmen standing upon the working-platform 27 are fully protected against injury by material either dislodged from the working face or. falling; from the roof, and a protected passageway is provided throughout the length of the worl zing-face and into the tunnel 46, yet no timbering is required at any point, except in said tunnel, which serves as a means. of exit from the mine or other excavation, and provides for the transportation of excavated material therefrom.

As indicated in Fig. 7, a preferred arrange ment of tunnelsin a mine in which my improved shield is to be used, comprises parallel tunnels A and B extending transversely of the vein at the respective ends of the length of vein to be worked, and parallel connecting tunnels, such as indicated by C, D and. E, at right angles to the transverse tunnels A and B, the distance between each two adjacent connecting tunnels being sub stantially equal to the length of the mining shield. Thus, when the delivery con veyor 45' is placed inthat one of the connecting tunnels at which it is desired to start the work, as in tunnel D, theends of the shield will extend substantially half way to the adjacent connecting tunnels C and E, and when the delivery conveyor 45 is moved to'eitherone of said adjacent tunnels, as to tunnel E, and the/shield is moved correspondingly, one end cfthe shield will extend to the line along which itsother end was advanced during its preceding run. The shield is advanced from tunnel A toward tunnel B, and when it. has reached the latter tunnel it is disassembled, either only sulficiently to permit it to .be reversed so. as to work back toward tunnel A, or to such an extent as to permit of its being transported back to tunnel A and reassembled therein in position to work again toward tunnel B. The connections of the longitudinal members to the triangular frames preferably are bolt ed, to facilitate knocking down, transporting and reassembling the parts of the shield.

Various modifications of miner details of the improvements disclosed herein doubtless readily will suggest themselves to those skilled in this art, but such mozilii ications fall within the scope of my inventive rights, and my invention is not to be construed being limited to any details not specifically set out in the claims. i

Having thus fully disclosed the invention what I claim as-new, and seek to Letters Patent, is :*V

, 1. A portableshield adapted for use in long-wall mining and other similar excavat ing operations, said shield having a. front face and a rear face,with a working space therehetween, and means forming part of said faces, closing the upper portions thereof against accessof material to the interior of theshield, whilethe front face open sufficiently to give access to the work.

2. A shield conforming to claim 1, said shield being of verymuch greater length than width, and theworking space being substantially continuous throughout the length of the shield.

3. A shield conforming to claim 1, and having its front face rearwardly inclined." 4. Aslneld confornnng to claim 1, and

. having its rear face forwardly inclined.

5. A shield conforming to claim 1, and being of substantially triangular transverse V cross-sectional configuration.

6. A shield conforming to claim 1, and having its two faces inclined toward each other, and secured together at the top and at the bottom.

7. A shield conforming to claim 1, and

having abase-plate secured between'itstwo faces at the bottom of the shield substantially throughout its length.

8. A shield conformingto claim 1, and

secure by having a base plate securedbetween its two? faces at the bottom of the shield, and-a working-platform above said base-plate, said 7 platform extending substantially throughout the length of the shield.

9. A shield conforming tolclaim 1, having its two faces converging toward the top of face, having a working'space therebetween,

and said faces being partially closed against access of material to the interior of the shield, and secured together at top and bottom, of means carried by said shield fol-imparting movement to theshield. r v 11. The combination of elements recited in claim 10, in which the moving means is efi'ectivef upon the shield at the basethereof.

.12. The eombinationof elements recited in claimlO, in which the moving means is adapted to act against a surface that is adjacent theshield; i a

13.The combinationof elements recited in claim 10, in which the'mo ving means is adapted to act against the surface on which the base of the shield rests.

"14. The combination'of elements recited in claim 10, in which the moving means comprises a plurality of power units" placed at different'mints longitudinally of the shield substantially throughout its length. V

The combination, with a shield a-L dapted for use in long-wall mining and other similar excavating operations, said shield comprisinga front face and a rear face, hav

ing a working space therebetweenysaid faces" being partially closed against access ofmaterial to the interior of the shield, of a plurality of powerdriven excavating tools supported within the shield and placed at different points longitudinally thereof. l

16, The combination of elements recited in'claim 15, each of the excavating tools being controllable from within the working 1 space, and being effective outside theshield.

17. The] combination with a portable shield adaptedfor usein long-wall, mining and other similar excavating operations, said shield comprising a. front face. and arear, face, having a working space therebetween, and said faces being partially closed against access of material to the, interior of the shield, of a conveyorwlocated within the longitudinally thereof.

18. The combination of elements recited shield and adapted to "transport material 7 vating operations, said shield comprising a series of spaced, substantially triangular frames, connected at three sides by members extending longitudinally of the shield.

20. A shield conforming to claim 19, two sides of the shield being closed against access of material to the interior thereof.

21. A shield conforming to claim 19, two sides of the shield being closed againstaccess of material to the interior thereof, and a third side being partially so closed.

22. A shield conforming to claim 19, two sides of the shield being closed against access of material to the interior thereof, and only the upper portion of the third side being so closed. I

23. A portable shield adapted forsuse in mining and other excavation of an extended surface, said shield comprising a tunnel-like structure partially open on its front side and being of very much greater length than width, said structure being sufficiently flexible to allow for inequalities in its supportin surface.

'24. A portable shield adapted for use in an untimbered portion of a mine or other stand'the pressure of material dislodged from the roof during the excavating operation.

25. A shield conforming to claim 24:, in which the inclinationof the closed side of I the shield is such that the pressure of the dislodged material thereagainst tends to advance the shield toward the work-face.

In test mony whereof I my signature.

' ERSKINE .RAMSAY. 

